1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-tap delay, and more particularly to a graphical user interface of a multi-tap delay. More specifically, the invention relates to such a multi-tap delay with its use in a computer aided music synthesizing and recording process and computer program.
Audio delays have widespread use in sound studios and sound design and have been used since the time dating from the earliest recording devices. A delay is a sound effect that splits the signal into two or more parts and then delays one part by a set time and then recombines it with the original. Thus, a delay plays a copy of the original signal following a delay of a certain amount of time, creating an echo effect. The delay time may range, for example, from several milliseconds to several seconds. A delay may also have a feedback option which takes the output of the delay and sends it back to the input. The sound is then repeated over and over, and—assuming that the feedback gain is less than one—becomes quieter each time it plays back, which enhances the echo effect.
While a single delay involves only one single echo, which is repeated according to the feedback settings, a multi-tap delay in effect is multiple delays in one, where each delay has a separate delay time. Multi-tap delays facilitate the creation of more complex patterns and can add rhythmic quality to an instrument.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a 4-tap delay unit, where the delay line is “tapped” at four different points, that is four outputs are taken within the delay line, before the signal has been delayed for the total delay time. The amount of delay between the various taps can be different. The multi-tap delay in FIG. 1 also comprises a feedback at the end of the delay line.
2. Background
Most delay devices are digitally based today. A multi-tap delay may be implemented as a dedicated device, which then in general has physical controls like sliders and rotary knobs to set the delay time of each tap, as well as other parameters like the level, a pan, a low pass and/or high pass filter etc. of the tap. These devices often in addition include displays for outputting the parameter values to the user.
In cases where multi-tap delays are implemented entirely in software (sometimes as plug-ins of other sound-editing programs), in general all the parameter values of the different taps are presented to the user on a graphical user interface. The user sets the parameters through a keyboard or with the help of controls provided by the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface often imitating the appearance and the arrangement of the physical controls of a dedicated device with its sliders, rotary knobs and buttons. An example of such a graphical user interface in shown in FIG. 2. The controls are operated by the user by dragging the mouse pointer, for example.
However, conventional multi-tap delays, implemented as dedicated devices or in software imitating the appearance of dedicated devices, have a number of disadvantages: Where the parameter settings of the various taps are indicated to the user by the position of rotary knobs or the content of a textual display, it is difficult for the user to grasp the different settings with one look. Although sliders, often used in multi-tap delays for setting the time delay of a tap, are capable of quickly indicating to the user the parameter value they control, they are so space-consuming that the number of taps is very limited if every tap is to be equipped with one or more associated sliders. Particularly in graphical user interfaces, the content of textual displays cannot easily be set by the user with the mouse, and the operation, with the help of the mouse, of other controls like arrow keys or rotary knobs is cumbersome. Furthermore, the user cannot modify the parameter settings of several taps at the same time.